blog post Managing Family Forests Is Key to Managing Wildfire By Annabelle Rosser, Henry McCann Sep 8, 2021 In the Sierra-Cascade region, many mixed-conifer forests belong to small family operations, which typically struggle to carry out robust forest management. This gap in management is putting communities at risk; a few policy changes could help.
blog post What Are the Consequences of Limiting Nonresident Students at UC? By Jacob Jackson, Kevin Cook, Idalys Perez Jul 28, 2021 The state legislature’s plan to limit nonresident enrollment at the University of California could mean more seats for resident students, but it also raises important financial considerations for the system.
blog post Commentary: An Equitable Recovery for California Requires Two Key Strategies By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh Jan 25, 2021 The current economic downturn has had an outsized impact on low-wage workers, communities of color, and women, and threatens to widen inequality. The right short- and long-term policies could help those most affected while broadening economic opportunity.
blog post The Year Ahead in Higher Education By Hans Johnson Jan 13, 2021 Last year brought historic disruptions to California’s colleges and universities. In 2021, how can policymakers and higher education officials draw on lessons learned during the pandemic while building on progress that was underway prior to COVID-19?
blog post New Laws Address Water Affordability and Wildfire Risks By Henry McCann, Gokce Sencan Nov 16, 2020 The pandemic and recession forced tough decisions in Sacramento this year. Despite challenging circumstances, several high-priority bills covering safe drinking water and wildfire risk reduction were enacted.
blog post How Might the Supreme Court ACA Case Affect California? By Shannon McConville Nov 10, 2020 The US Supreme Court today heard a case challenging a key provision of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). A ruling that invalidates the ACA—or parts of it—could have far-reaching consequences for our state.
blog post Ensuring Water Equity and Utility Solvency: Lessons from Phoenix By Caitrin Chappelle Oct 12, 2020 Water utilities face a growing challenge: taking in enough money to maintain complex water systems while also providing safe, affordable water. We talked to Kathryn Sorensen of Phoenix Water Services about Phoenix’s equity innovations.
Report Funding California Schools When Budgets Fall Short By Julien Lafortune, Radhika Mehlotra, Jennifer Paluch Oct 5, 2020 Even as districts prioritize safety amid COVID-19, they face hard choices as they try to maintain services and balance budgets. By examining district reserves and spending, this report aims to understand how the Great Recession affected K–12 funding and how prepared districts are now to manage future cuts.
blog post The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Test the State’s Budget Reserves By Radhika Mehlotra, Jennifer Paluch Apr 20, 2020 State reserve policies enacted since the Great Recession have boosted the capacity of California’s budget to weather a downturn, but a major recession due to COVID-19 would pose significant fiscal challenges.
